U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission home page

Section 4 - Summary of Events/ Programs

U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission

Summary of Event/Program
The U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission was established by the Centennial of Flight Commemoration Act, Public Law 105-389, November 13, 1998, as amended by Public Law 106-68, October 6, 1999. Congress' intent was to expand the national and international interest in the Wright brothers' achievement. The U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission was charged by Congress with playing the leading role in coordinating and publicizing public activities celebrating the achievements of Wilbur and Orville Wright and commemorating a century of powered flight. Under this mandate, the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission planned to coordinate and encourage national and international celebrations of the Wright brothers' achievement and its impact on the world in a fashion that inspired the next generation of inventors.

Goals of the Event/Program
As an organization, the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission had three goals: Outcome of Event/Program
There were three major elements of the program: the December 17, 2002 kick off; the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission Web site; and the educational program.

The Centennial of Flight kick off was held December 17, 2002, at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. It was emceed by John Travolta and featured aviation honorees and pioneers such as Sen. John Glenn, Dr. Neil Armstrong, the Wright family, Edsel Ford, Dr. Vance Coffman, Jody McCarrell representing the 99's, William Holten and John McGee representing the Tuskegee Airmen, Amy Kleppner representing Amelia Earhart, Gen. Tex Hill, Erik Lindbergh, Dr. Shannon Lucid and Pamela Melroy. Featured speakers included the Administrators of NASA and the FAA, Gen. J.R. Dailey, Deputy Secretary of Transportation Jackson and John Travolta. The event was widely covered by the media, including CBS, CNN, FOX, USA Today, The Washington Post and others. President Bush issued a Wright Brothers Day Proclamation that was read as part of the ceremonies and then presented to Amanda Wright Lane. NASA TV provided a satellite uplink of the ceremony so it could be viewed nationally and internationally. The U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission worked extremely hard with North Carolina and Ohio to coordinate the kick off ceremonies for all three organizations.

Section 7 of this National Report is devoted entirely to the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission Web site, to include program content and metrics on its success.

The U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission participated in more than a dozen conferences, symposia and seminars in 2003, and promoted national and international participation in the centennial of flight through exhibits at national events and education conferences, speaking engagements, professional development workshops and student contests in the U.S. and abroad. Numerous collaborations were formed that resulted in hundreds of centennial of flight related events and activities. Educational information and materials were presented and disseminated to millions of individuals.

U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission staff worked closely with NASA to develop dozens of centennial of flight related products. NASA's education program managers adopted centennial of flight themes that were reflected in nearly all major educational initiatives in 2002 and 2003. NASA Field Center staff also incorporated the centennial of flight theme into their educational initiatives and developed numerous educational products and activities including a comprehensive Web site.

The U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission developed numerous educational products in cooperation with NASA's Offices of Education and Aerospace Technology, which included two posters with hands-on activities featuring the Wright brothers and the scientific and engineering processes they used to successfully achieve powered flight. A bookmark was also developed with activities encouraging educators and students to explore the various educational components of the Web site and to research, plan and participate in their own centennial of flight activities and events. Education staff representing the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission, NASA's Offices of Education and Aerospace Technology, and several Field Centers cooperatively developed numerous additional centennial of flight products that included educators' guides, bookmarks, CDs, posters, exhibits and hands-on activities. During the last four years, more than four million centennial of flight related products were disseminated to educators, students and the public in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and more than 20 countries. These products have all been extremely well received by the formal and informal education communities and are still in demand today.

The U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission's online "Calendar of Events" hosted a broad array of events related to the centennial of flight and the history of aviation. The calendar posted centennial of flight celebration dates across the U.S. and the world allowing educators to locate educational opportunities for their students and even post their own events. Event planners used the calendar to coordinate their events with others. In 2003, 116 educational activities were listed on the calendar, not including the long-term events. Overall, the events represented 25 different states and more than a dozen countries in 2003.

The U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission's education staff provided onsite support for nine education related activities that took place in North Carolina in 2003, including Women in Aviation Day; Fayetteville Festival of Flight; the International Kite Festival; and the presentations, exhibits and educational demonstrations during the First Flight Celebration. In addition, tens of thousands of educational materials were disseminated to school districts across the state, particularly in Raleigh-Durham, Dare County, Lumberton and Boone.

More than a half dozen centennial activities in Ohio received onsite U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission educational support that included assisting in the development of a Wright brothers interdisciplinary curriculum that was disseminated to all school districts in the state and hundreds of schools across the nation. Educational exhibits, speakers, activities and materials were provided to the Inventing Flight celebration planners in support of their major centennial event. An educational alliance with Wright State University (WSU) resulted in providing educators and students access to the largest collection of Wright photographs in the world via the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission Web site. U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission and WSU educational staff also co-presented Wright-related educational information and materials to educators from across the country at the 2003 National Science Teachers Association Conference. The U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission educational staff supported two centennial of flight themed international education conferences in Cincinnati, Ohio, sponsored by the Civil Air Patrol and Women in Aviation International. Educational workshops, materials, information and presentations were provided for hundreds of teachers from all over the country, at both conferences.

The U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission education staff and NASA's Office of Education and Office of Aerospace Technology also developed the "Centennial of Flight VIP Educational Toolkit," that became available in December 2002. The Toolkit included: an educators' guide; a poster: "The 1902 Glider: How the Problem of Control was Solved;" a NACA/NASA timeline; a 32-page, full color booklet featuring the pre-history of flight, a century of flight, the future of flight and educational resources; and four bookmarks. Approximately 140,000 hard copies of the "Centennial of Flight VIP Educational Toolkit" package were disseminated to educators in 2003.

A 32-page brochure, "Celebrating a Century of Flight," cosponsored by NASA, the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission, was created and distributed to share the history of flight. The brochure was available on major airlines, in airports and distributed at various events across the country. In collaboration with NASA Headquarters and the National Coalition for Aviation Education, the 32-page "Celebrating a Century of Flight" booklet was reformatted to create a centennial of flight educational supplement that was produced by The Washington Times and disseminated to hundreds of newspapers across the country through Newspapers in Education. As a result, the supplement reached millions of homes and classrooms.

Centennial Legacy
The 100th anniversary of flight challenged the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission to increase the public's understanding of the evolution of flight and the extraordinary individuals that made it possible. More importantly, it provided a tremendous opportunity to use the story of flight to inspire students across the globe to explore aviation's past and, in the process, recognize the power of dreams and the astonishing realities they can create. The U.S Centennial of Flight Commission and its Partners established an infrastructure that encouraged educators, students and the public to participate in exciting centennial of flight projects and events and enabled them to plan their own. And, as a result, millions of students across the country attended centennial of flight events, participated in classroom activities, utilized materials, and accessed resources that not only taught them about the history of aviation, but encouraged them to imagine the incredible possibilities for the future. The U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission hopes that these experiences have not only ignited their imaginations, but also provided them with the tools they need to investigate and pursue exciting aerospace-related careers and become the next generation of explorers, inventors and innovators.

Lessons Learned
It takes the combined efforts of many good people to undertake goals of this magnitude. It is only through the strength and efforts of our many Partners that we were all able to succeed. A talented marketing and media relations outreach partner is essential to the success of a national initiative such as the celebration of the centennial of flight.

INVENTING FLIGHT: DAYTON 2003
Summary of Event/Program
Inventing Flight: Dayton 2003 was the culmination of 15 years of planning by a broad public and private partnership under the auspices of The 2003 Committee. The committee was funded through a combination of public and private contributions including significant support from the City of Dayton, State of Ohio, and Montgomery and Greene counties. Major support came in the form of philanthropic gifts from Dayton area businesses, individuals and foundations, as well as several significant corporate sponsorships. The 2003 Committee was governed by a board of public and private sector representatives. The board was chaired initially by U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice and later by Dayton Daily News Publisher J. Bradford Tillson.

The initial focus of The 2003 Committee was the establishment of a national park around the Dayton history of Orville and Wilbur Wright and African-American writer Paul Laurence Dunbar. Legislation creating the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park was signed into law by President George H. W. Bush in 1992 and, over the next 10 years, the park was developed in time for the centennial celebration.

In addition to development of the national park, its four sites and two interpretive centers, many other bricks and mortar projects in the Dayton area were completed with the 2003 celebration in mind. These included a new wing to the U.S. Air Force Museum, a $100 million performing arts center downtown, several new structures at Carillon Historical Park, a RiverScape at the convergence of two rivers downtown and a pedestrian bridge from it to a FlightScape Plaza, many infrastructure improvements to the Dayton Air Show, and a massive revitalization of the business and residential neighborhood where the Wright brothers lived and worked.

The Inventing Flight partnership included many existing community institutions such as the Dayton Air Show, Carillon Historical Park, U.S. Air Force Museum, National Aviation Hall of Fame, Dayton Art Institute and Dayton Contemporary Dance Company to name a few. Many of these institutions already were planning major events for 2003 and agreed to have Inventing Flight package and promote them under a common celebratory brand. Inventing Flight also was designated a "signature event" of the Ohio Bicentennial, also in 2003.

One of Inventing Flight's proudest accomplishments was convincing Sen. John Glenn to serve as secretary general of the celebration. Sen. Glenn and his wife Annie attended most of the Inventing Flight activities and represented the celebration in the media and at events nationally.

The Inventing Flight program falls into three categories: (1) programs that extend beyond 2003; (2) various activities leading up to the Inventing Flight celebration; and (3) the peak, 17-day celebration in July 2003.

Programs that extend beyond 2003
There are several educational and arts programs that were developed in conjunction with the Inventing Flight Celebration that both preceded the July activities and continued afterward. The most ambitious of these is the Inventing Flight Curriculum, a multi-media middle school curriculum based on the work of the Wright brothers. It was developed in partnership with consultant Gordon L. Schimmel and ThinkTV, Dayton's public television station. Funding for development and distribution of the curriculum was provided by the Mathile Family Foundation. The curriculum has received several national awards and, for the last 18 months, has been the most requested curriculum package nationally.

Other programming created for the Inventing Flight celebration includes a Digistar program for planetaria produced by Dayton's Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, a series of flight themed dance productions created for and performed nationally and internationally by the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, and several works commissioned by the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. The Dayton Art Institute curated two exhibits, one of photographs and prints and another of sculpture, for the celebration.

Various activities leading up to the Inventing Flight celebration
Several years before the centennial, Wright State University and Inventing Flight hosted a symposium on the first 100 years of flight. In the spring of 2002, the U.S. Mint introduced the Ohio Quarter, which features a flight theme, at a ceremony at the U.S. Air Force Museum. Also at the museum on New Year's Eve 2002, was a gala kick off for the 2003 celebration. Several hours later the Dayton based Wright B Flyer flew over the Rose Bowl.

May 2003 was a big month for celebration activities. On Mother's Day weekend, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base hosted a massive open house to celebrate the centennial. It featured virtually every airplane in the U.S. Air Force's inventory on display as well as demonstrations and speakers. Later that month, the U.S. Postal Service was at the U.S. Air Force Museum for a first day issue celebrating the Wright brothers. Finally, on Memorial Day weekend, the Wright B Flyer flew around the Statue of Liberty.

The peak, 17-day celebration in July 2003
Dayton's Inventing Flight celebration peaked during 17 days in July 2003. It began Independence Day Weekend with opening ceremonies and a ribbon cutting by Sen. John Glenn and Dr. Neil Armstrong followed by a spectacular fireworks display. That weekend also included a three-day hot air balloon event produced by RE/MAX at the U.S. Air Force Museum and a folk music festival at RiverScape downtown. The media highlight of the weekend was a July Fourth visit by President Bush who spoke to an enthusiastic crowd of 30,000 at the U.S. Air Force Museum and to a national television audience.

The second weekend included a blimp meet with four of the giant airships floating across the skies over Dayton. The Dayton Black Cultural Festival featured a reunion of the Tuskegee Airmen and Dayton Contemporary Dance Company's performance of its flight productions.

The final week included the AIAA/International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences (ICAS) Flight Symposium focusing on the next 100 years of flight. John Travolta was honored by AIAA at a formal dinner. The celebration concluded with a four-day Dayton Air Show that included both the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and U.S. Navy Blue Angels along with the Canadian Snowbirds flying each day. One of the more unusual flights was a Boeing 707 piloted by John Travolta with Sen. John Glenn as passenger. Saturday night featured a reunion of enshrinees attending the National Aviation Hall of Fame annual dinner hosted by Harrison Ford. Sunday's highlights included a moving ceremony at the Wright brothers' grave site featuring Dr. Neil Armstrong, Sen. John Glenn and members of the Wright family.

Throughout the 17 days, Carillon Park produced "living history" re-creations of events from the turn of the 20th century at the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park sites, and Inventing Flight's Celebration Central at Deeds Point featured four massive pavilions, main stage entertainment and a variety of other activities including an evening lighted barge show.

Goals of Event/Program
Inventing Flight set the following goals for the celebration: Outcome of Event/Program
An estimated 716,000 people attended the July 2003 Inventing Flight events. People who attended more than one event were counted more than once. This included an estimated 150,000 people at the four-day Dayton Air Show and 100,000 at the July 3 opening ceremonies and fireworks. Other major attendance contributors were Celebration Central with 75,000, Dayton Black Cultural festival with 65,000, CityFolk Festival with 60,000 and the blimp meet with 53,000. Surveys conducted during the celebration indicated roughly 80 percent of visitors were from the region and 20 percent were overnight travelers, approximately the breakdown anticipated.

One of the main goals of Inventing Flight was to market the region, and the event exceeded all goals. Inventing Flight spent nearly $2 million on paid advertising in 2002 and 2003 and it is estimated that advertising created more than 100 million impressions nationally. No advertising was purchased outside the U.S., but some of the publications used did reach an international audience. The www.inventingflight.com Web site attracted between 250,000 and 300,000 unique visitors in July 2003 alone. Since its inception, more than one million people have visited the Web site.

Print and broadcast coverage of the events in Dayton was extensive with most major U.S. and many foreign newspapers running stories about the celebration. Secretary General John Glenn was on the cover of Parade magazine. Many travel sections, including The New York Times, did extensive pieces on Dayton aviation heritage sites and the celebration. American Heritage magazine highlighted Dayton. All of the major television networks covered the Dayton celebration at one time or another and CBS broadcasted live from the Dayton Air Show.

The economic impact of the celebration still is being calculated. A team of economists at Wright State University is wrapping up a comprehensive economic impact study. A feasibility study commissioned by Inventing Flight in 1997 estimated the likely direct economic impact at $110 million.

Between 1998 and 2003, Inventing Flight directly spent more than $20 million. It is estimated that programming partners spent another $8-10 million in 2003. In addition, Inventing Flight can account for $63 million in investments in anticipation of the celebration. These include development of the national park sites, improvements in the Wright-Dunbar Neighborhood, construction of the FlightScape Plaza and other construction directly related to the celebration. Another $30 million in improvements was influenced by centennial plans.

Local economic development organizations used the celebration to attract attention and entertain prospects. The Dayton Development Coalition has said it expects several of those prospects to bear fruit.

Centennial Legacy
Some legacies are readily apparent while others will take time to fully manifest themselves. There are impressive and lasting bricks and mortar legacies. The most significant by far is the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park which was developed in roughly half the time of most national parks because of the 2003 deadline. It used the celebration as a platform to introduce itself to the growing heritage tourism market. The second most important structural legacy is the continuing transformation of Wright-Dunbar from a largely abandoned urban dead zone to an increasingly vibrant commercial and residential neighborhood.

Other tangible legacies range from the FlightScape Plaza at Deeds Point where visitors continue to have their pictures taken with Orville and Wilbur to the new wing at the U.S. Air Force Museum to RiverScape to the permanent improvements at the Dayton Air Show. The Dayton Art Institute installed a massive, soaring sculpture by John Safor, the same artist who did the signature piece for the Smithsonian's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles International Airport. Even such relatively inexpensive items such as the highway signage identifying historic sites continue to have a positive impact.

Some content produced for the celebration will have an enduring legacy. Certainly the Inventing Flight Curriculum and the Digistar program will be used for years to come. That is equally true for the flight themed dance pieces commissioned by Dayton Contemporary Dance Company. Recently Carillon Park announced plans to continue the "Time Flies" living history works it produced for the celebration. In a real sense, the Ohio Quarter is a legacy of the centennial.

Another legacy is the benefit received by existing organizations in Dayton. Inventing Flight, with considerable assistance from the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission, helped create and market a platform on which many local organizations and institutions could be seen by a national audience. Every partner benefited from this relationship.

Potentially the most significant legacy will take longer to judge. That is the image of Dayton that was created through the Inventing Flight celebration and the marketing of it. Based on conversations with many people around the country, Inventing Flight succeeded in telling the story of Dayton and the Wright brothers. Inventing Flight's marketing efforts were reinforced by a host of articles, books, television specials and other media that told the Wright brothers' story. Thanks to Sen. John Glenn, Dr. Neil Armstrong, the U.S. Air Force and NASA, the message that leading edge aerospace research continues in Dayton and Ohio 100 years after the Wright brothers first flew was delivered as well. That message was a strong element of President Bush's remarks during his visit July 4, 2003.

Finally, there is no question that residents of the Dayton area and Ohio felt great pride in the centennial celebration and the recognition received by two sons of Ohio. The residual of that continues.

Lessons Learned
Probably the biggest lesson was the importance of partnerships. Almost all of the programming created for Inventing Flight was the result of partnerships, both local and national. The existence of the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission was critical to partnerships with EAA, NASA, FAA and AIAA, among others. It strengthened Inventing Flight's existing relationship with North Carolina.

Certainly one of the lessons painfully learned in Dayton was the risks of revenue models. Partly due to bad weather the first week of the celebration and partly due to flawed pricing and other factors, Inventing Flight's Celebration Central did not meet attendance and revenue projections resulting in a substantial debt that is now mostly settled. On the positive side of the financial equation, the generous support of local government, business and individuals was key to Inventing Flight's success. Local philanthropy and government support created much of what Inventing Flight was able to sell to sponsors.

Another lesson learned, or at least reinforced, was the importance of marketing. Since telling Dayton's story and creating a positive image of the community was a major goal of Inventing Flight, marketing was critical to success. As noted above, Inventing Flight did a lot of marketing but just as important was the marketing done by the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission and its other partners. All of it reinforced the message that something important happened in 1903, something worth celebrating in 2003.

The importance of celebrities and having their faces and their stories associated with this event was manifest throughout the year. It is impossible to overestimate the impact of having Sen. John Glenn as Inventing Flight's national spokesperson. Two of the most talked about and covered images of the centennial were joint appearances by Sen. John Glenn and Dr. Neil Armstrong at the Ohio Quarter rollout and the July opening ceremonies. The involvement of John Travolta and Harrison Ford in celebration activities brought additional coverage and public interest. Members of the Wright family became much interviewed celebrities during the centennial and they served as extraordinary ambassadors for Dayton.

Finally, Inventing Flight learned all over again how compelling the story of the Wright brothers and early powered flight is. It engages people of all ages and backgrounds. Appropriately, it was the keystone of the centennial celebration.

NORTH CAROLINA
Summary of Event/Program
Wright Brothers National Memorial was the site of a six-day celebration beginning on Friday, December 12, 2003, and ending on Wednesday, December 17, 2003. The theme and a few highlights of each day are listed below.

The six-day event included interpretative talks every day by park staff in the Visitors Center, interpretative talks in the reproductions of the Wrights' workshops, tours of the flight line of the first flight, and a display of the Wright Flyer replica donated by Mr. Harry Combs. Exhibits were provided by NASA, Dare County Schools, Academy of Model Aeronautics, U.S. Air Force Command and Control, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, The First Flight Society, Outer Banks Stamps, U.S. Postal Service, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and the FAA.

Goals of Event/Program
The goal of the First Flight Centennial Commission was to execute the four components from which the North Carolina First Flight Centennial Commission was founded: education, commemoration, celebration and legacy. The National Park Service's mission was to tell the story of the Wright brothers. The goals were easily merged into one comprehensive educational program. The resultant collaborative planning team had the mission of creating a multi-dimensional event with mass appeal to tell the story using various mediums.

Outcome of Event/Program
The six-day celebration had a total public attendance of approximately 115,000 people. The highest attendance was on December 17, 2003, when more than 34,000 people attended. There were millions worldwide that saw the event on television.

A preliminary report from Carter Ryley Thomas Public Relations and Marketing Counsel reveals: Visitor statistics for the Web site showed 1,806,536 total hits and 40,135 unique visitors in November; 4,793,905 total hits and 147,408 unique visitors in December; and 581,444 total hits and 26,426 unique visitors in January 2004.

Centennial Legacy
At Wright Brothers National Memorial, the legacy of the Centennial can be measured in very tangible ways. Enhancements to the park resulting from the Centennial celebration include: Lessons Learned EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION (EAA)
Summary of Event/Program Goals of Event/Program
The goals of EAA's program were to: Outcome of Event/Program
Media coverage of the flight centennial was international in scope. In Kill Devil Hills alone, there were more than 800 media representatives registered, representing journalists from four different continents. Countdown to Kitty Hawk activities were broadcast to the world on outlets such as CNN, and worldwide outlets including BBC. Voice of America interviewed EAA and Countdown to Kitty Hawk representatives. Newspaper reports from Kitty Hawk appeared in newspapers as far away as Europe, Japan and India. A conservative estimate of mentions of EAA included more than 21,000 column inches of text during calendar year 2003, creating more than 88 million print impressions. Print reports that highlighted Countdown to Kitty Hawk or the Wright Experience without specific EAA mention easily surpassed 100 million just in the U.S. Coverage of the flight centennial activities was prominent in the top newspapers in every state, many of which also included separate features that highlighted local flight centennial programs.

EAA's Countdown to Kitty Hawk attracted near record traffic to the EAA Web site, and on December 17, nearly 30,000 individuals viewed nearly 100,000 pages of the Web site. This is the highest number of visitors in one day to EAA's Web site since the previous record day following the terrorist attacks on 9/11. Also on December 17, EAA's main Web site, www.eaa.org, attracted nearly 25,000 visitors. During EAA's centennial celebration in Oshkosh, Wis., nearly 400 participated in the first ever Web cast from the EAA AirVenture Museum's Eagle Hangar.

EAA connected with children, families, members, organizations, institutions and government officials. Perhaps as many as one billion media impressions were created throughout the program. There were one million Young Eagles. Nearly 400,000 people toured the pavilion. There were 16,000 people who cast a vote for the Greatest Aviation Innovation in person or via the Internet. More than 8,000 EAA members signed the logbooks.

Centennial Legacy
The legacy of the centennial can be measured in the following ways: FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA)
Summary of Event/Program
FAA's Centennial of Flight Committee set goals and executed a national FAA plan for the centennial year. Activities promoted the Centennial, the FAA and the concept of aviation as a vital force in 20th century life.

Goals of Event/Program
The goals were to develop and execute agency plans which would celebrate the centennial of flight, provide a positive aviation and aerospace message to the flying public, bolster faith in aviation safety, inspire learning, and raise aviation career awareness for a future aerospace workforce.

Outcome of Event/Program
FAA centennial of flight accomplishments include: FAA museum exhibits were visited by hundreds of thousands of people from the U.S. and around the world. The outcome created a better informed aviation and aerospace public and sparked a renewed interest in aviation and aerospace classroom curriculum and career planning.

Centennial Legacy
The centennial provided an opportunity to educate the public about aviation and aerospace history and to instill a national pride in the nation's significant achievements. The legacy of this commemoration will be a fertile groundwork for new educational opportunities.

Lessons Learned
FAA worked with many national partners in accomplishing its goals. Although FAA had already known the value of joining forces, it was wonderful to reaffirm that collaboration with the aerospace industry, government, military and other aerospace organizations maximized everyone's resources and created a culture of non-partisanship that will continue into the future.

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION (NASA)
Summary of Event/Program
December 17, 2003, marked the 100th anniversary of the first sustained, controlled, powered, heavier-than-air flight. A century ago on this date, two brothers from Ohio first flew on the wind swept sand of Kitty Hawk, N.C., changing the world forever. NASA and its predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), contributed greatly to the advancement of flight over the 85+ years of their existence.

NASA's program to celebrate the centennial of flight was accomplished through a series of activities summarized below. Goals of Event/Program
NASA committed to support the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission in the promotion and dissemination of the accomplishments of flight that were made over the last century, and show the wondrous things the next century of flight may bring. NASA's goal was to provide a legacy through a series of activities including events, speakers, exhibits, publications and a series of education activities.

Outcome of Event/Program
NASA estimates that more than 7.5 million people were reached directly by NASA exhibits. More than four million educational and informational publications were produced and distributed. Approximately 150 million people were reached through educational TV shows, while hundreds of millions of people around the world were reached through all other forms of media. This report is only a brief summary of the many activities NASA undertook and participated in during the centennial of flight. Additional information can be referenced in the report NASA Contributions to the Centennial of Powered Flight (NP-2004-04-343-HQ) available online at www.nasa.gov.

Centennial Legacy
NASA partnered and collaborated with numerous government and nonprofit organizations to celebrate the centennial of flight. Through these partnerships, NASA celebrated the centennial and made a lasting impact through its activities, leaving a centennial legacy. NASA supported every major centennial event. It produced both scholarly and public material on NASA activities and flight including books, brochures, posters, articles and wind tunnel tests. Through educational materials, International Space Station downlinks, exhibits and other activities and products, NASA inspired current and future generations to the wonders of flight as well as the contributions of NASA. As the centennial came to an end, a new era of exploration was emerging, with the landing of Spirit and Opportunity on Mars. In a short century, humans have gone from the first tentative steps into the air to setting foot on the moon, routine air travel, a permanent human presence in space on the International Space Station, and the exploration of other worlds. NASA has been a key player in all these advancements over the last century and is working today on what the next century of flight will bring.

Lessons Learned
SMITHSONIAN'S NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM
Summary of Event/Program
The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum had two primary goals for the centennial of flight year. The first was to open its centennial related exhibition, "The Wright Brothers & The Invention of the Aerial Age," in the museum's building on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on October 11, 2003. The second and greater undertaking was the opening of the museum's long awaited companion facility, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, in Chantilly, Va., on December 15, 2003, as part of the centennial week celebrations. Despite a number of serious challenges, both openings occurred on schedule and to much acclaim.

Outcome of Event/Program
Although opening relatively late, "The Wright Brothers & The Invention of the Aerial Age," became one of the key national attractions for the centennial year. While Ohio and North Carolina both have obvious claims to the Wright brothers' story, the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum is home to the 1903 Wright Flyer, the seminal artifact in the invention of powered flight. For the exhibition, the Flyer was moved on September 24, 2003, from its central hanging position in the museum's Milestones of Flight gallery into the second floor exhibition gallery where it was put on display at ground level for the first time since it was acquired by the Smithsonian in 1948. The move was open to the media and resulted in, among other coverage, a front page photograph in The Dayton Daily News.

The exhibition is made up of more than 170 artifacts on display, many on loan from other organizations around the world. All are intricate pieces to telling the story of the brothers, their method of invention and the cultural impact of powered flight in the decade following Kitty Hawk. It is doubtful that a fuller array of Wright related artifacts has ever been assembled. This added to the universal appeal of the exhibition.

A media breakfast attended by representatives from more than two dozen local, national and international news organizations was held in June to discuss plans for the gallery and a media preview on October 9, 2003, attracted almost three dozen local, national and international news organizations. After the exhibition opened on October 11, media interest in the exhibition continued to grow leading up to December 17, 2003. Curator Peter Jakab conducted 200 interviews related to the centennial and the exhibition during 2003, including featured pieces for NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, ABC News, CBS News, CNN and PBS's News Hour with Jim Lehrer. A satellite media tour organized for the exhibition opening reached nearly 10 million television viewers while a radio media tour organized by National Geographic for the exhibition's companion book was heard by nearly four million people. No surveys were done to determine which visitors to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum came specifically for the Wright exhibition, but more than 869,000 people visited the museum from October 2003 through January 2004, and the gallery was consistently one of the most crowded in the building. On the December 17 centennial, curator Peter Jakab gave three well attended special lectures in the Wright gallery. Also on that day, the museum held a book signing and showed NASA TV coverage of centennial events at Kitty Hawk in the Milestones of Flight gallery. More than a dozen news organizations covered the events at the museum on December 17 including CNN, NPR, Reuters and ABC News Radio.

A number of successful educational events were held during the last months of 2003 in conjunction with the exhibition, including a day of live satellite and Internet programming that originated from the gallery and was seen by tens of thousands of students in classrooms across the United States. Hits for the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Web site, www.nasm.si.edu, increased steadily for the last months of 2003; there were 19,218,150 hits in October; 21,411,070 hits in November; and 40,694,280 hits in December. In addition, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum published a number of books to coincide with the centennial of flight theme.

The public opening of the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center was scheduled for December 15, 2003, to celebrate the centennial but to avoid drawing attention away from December 17 events in North Carolina and elsewhere. The Udvar-Hazy Center was already a well known story by December, because of a publicity campaign that began in large part with the groundbreaking ceremony in October 2000, followed by the awarding of the construction contract in April 2001. Media events tied in with construction progress were held in 2002. For 2003, a publicity campaign, part of a communications plan, was designed around at least one media event a month leading up to December. Those events generated local, national and international public familiarization with the center and some of its better known artifacts. The arrival of a retired Air France Concorde in June and the unveiling of the newly reassembled B-29 Enola Gay in August each attracted more than 100 journalists. At all events, there were remarks connecting the Udvar-Hazy Center with the centennial of flight theme. A media preview was held December 5, a tribute to military aviation veterans was held December 9, and the center dedication was held December 11, all leading up to the December 15 public opening. Some 600 media credentials were issued for the month's events. In addition, a satellite media tour was conducted at the center on December 10 with actor John Travolta.

The publicity campaign resulted in a highly successful wave of local, national and international coverage that swelled in the days leading up to the center's opening. Featured print stories and graphics appeared in pieces by The New York Times, The Associated Press, USA Today, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, U.S. News & World Report, Smithsonian, Washingtonian and dozens of other major print outlets. The AP story on the December 11 dedication alone ran in several hundred newspapers. Featured broadcast packages about the Udvar-Hazy Center appeared on CNN, NBC's Today show, CBS's Sunday Morning, NPR and Fox News Channel, among 12 national television outlets airing stories and 72 local television stations airing stories in the top 25 markets. In total, it is estimated that more than 70 million viewers were exposed to the Udvar-Hazy Center in December 2003 alone.

The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center attracted 220,000 visitors during the 15 days of December 2003 in which it was open. Sales for the center's museum store, the food service and the IMAX theater were all well above projections and roadways leading to the center were frequent mentions in area traffic reports during the Christmas holiday season. In addition, sales of an annual parking pass had to be suspended when the maximum 2,000 were issued. Approximately 173,000 people visited the center in January. Hits for the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Web site, www.nasm.si.edu, increased steadily for the last months of 2003. School tours for the Udvar-Hazy Center began in February 2004, and were heavily scheduled through the end of the academic year. Other educational features and events also were launched in the late winter.

Centennial Legacy
With the opening of "The Wright Brothers & The Invention of the Aerial Age" and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum gave visitors two unique outlets for exploring the centennial of flight and to ponder the next century and beyond. While the Wright brothers exhibition will exist for only two years, its themes and unique presentation will no doubt be used well into the future for educational purposes. The public has responded enthusiastically to seeing the 1903 Wright Flyer from a new, close up perspective and there will probably be requests from visitors to keep the airplane at ground level after the exhibit closes. Regardless, the exhibition has brought people closer to the story of the Wrights, their method of discovery and the popular impact of powered flight, allowing the museum to claim unmitigated success with the gallery.

The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's permanent tribute to flight's first century and a work-in-progress that will grow in the early years of the second century of flight. The history of the Udvar-Hazy Center will always include mention of its opening during the centennial of flight week. Public and critical reaction in the first months of the center has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic. Together the Udvar-Hazy Center and the museum's building on the Mall can now better tell the story of powered flight with so much more of the national collection available to the public. With two sites, the museum is now the largest Air and Space museum complex in the world. With that comes added responsibility to commemorate, educate and inspire the next generations of flight pioneers.

Lessons Learned
The success in the openings of "The Wright Brothers & The Invention of the Aerial Age" and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center illustrates the importance of advanced planning, effective communications and adherence to deadlines. The timing of the openings gave the public themed destinations in the Washington area that added to the overall quality of the centennial of flight celebrations. The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum took seriously its role as a Centennial Partner and demonstrated that through unprecedented efforts in focusing (in the case of the Wright brothers) and expanding its offerings (in the case of the Udvar-Hazy Center) to visitors. The centennial of flight was a unique milestone for the museum and one that will have enduring positive ramifications.

AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF AERONAUTICS AND ASTRONAUTICS (AIAA)
Summary of Event/Program
When AIAA introduced the Evolution of Flight Campaign in 1999, AIAA had aspirations of creating a legacy for flight. AIAA hoped to encourage new talent in the industry and construct an emotional launching pad for the next 100 years of innovation in aviation and space technology. AIAA created a campaign that would reach into the industry, as well as out to the general public.

The Evolution of Flight Campaign included: Goals and Outcome of the Events and Programs
Centennial Legacy
AIAA stimulated a new enthusiasm for the next 100 years of aerospace advancement. The campaign showed AIAA and the general public an industry that has much of which to be proud, the least of which is the future. Perhaps that can be the kindle for AIAA's mission to share what AIAA can do with the next generation. The promise of a better, safer, more advanced world lies in the imagination and courage of its children.

Lessons Learned
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and all of its partners worked together, early on, to ensure an integrated campaign that would create a legacy for flight, to encourage new talent in the aerospace industry and to construct a launching pad for the next 100 years of innovation in aviation and space technology. AIAA learned that it is essential to the profession to work together to continue the momentum and commitment through various programs and activities.

AVIATION WEEK
Summary of Event/Program
Since 1998, Aviation Week has taken a leadership role to focus the national psyche on the issue of aviation through its Next Century of Flight (NCF) Program. Together with 17 valued industry partners, Aviation Week has connected with more than 19 million people around the world via articles, essays, curriculum and teacher support, and related partner programs.

Goals of Event/Program
The goal has remained constant, to create an excitement about aerospace, and to position aviation for generations to come.

Outcome of Event/Program
Aviation Week's Next Century of Flight program was founded on the very premise of reigniting the passion that the industry was founded upon with the goal of inspiring current and future generations of aerospace professionals. That commitment developed a focus for Aviation Week and its partners to take action on the very workforce development issues outlined in this important document. Some accomplishments included: Centennial Legacy
The impact of the Next Century of Flight included: Lessons Learned
Aviation Week and its NCF partners have taken bold strides over the last decade to launch educational initiatives to help students pursue careers in aviation and aerospace. Aviation Week needs to continue this activity in order to perpetuate the legacy of corporate commitment to community and educational support for young people, particularly in the engineering fields.

FAYETTEVILLE FESTIVAL OF FLIGHT 2003
Summary of Event/Program
From May 16-26, 2003, Festival of Flight in Fayetteville, N.C., presented a series of aviation related events well suited to the city, which claims Pope Air Force Base, Fort Bragg's prestigious 82nd Airborne and some 50,000 military residents to its credit. A general aviation air show and arts festival opened the 11-day celebration, followed by an extensive exposition that featured the past, present and future of aviation. Exhibitors included NASA, the Smithsonian Institution, all branches of the military, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, AIAA's Evolution of Flight, commercial aviation companies and manufacturers. Each day also included a flyover of a replica 1910, 1911 or 1912 Wright brothers' airplane, as well as demonstrations of moon buggies on a recreated lunar surface. The festival concluded with a thrilling military air show at Pope Air Force Base, Memorial Day ceremonies and a parade.

With an emphasis on education, Festival of Flight also developed a year-long curriculum that culminated with 1,000 students being sponsored each day for exclusive access to the Festival's exposition. Celebrity speakers, hands-on wing construction with Nick Engler and a live satellite link with the International Space Station were among the special programs planned for student audiences.

Goals of Event/Program
Two and a half years in the planning, the Festival of Flight 2003 program met all of its major goals and objectives. The cornerstones of the Festival were honoring the military, since Fayetteville is home to Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base, and education.

Outcome of Event/Program
The military was deeply involved with exhibits from the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force, a two-day military air show featuring the Thunderbirds with a total attendance of 160,000 people, a military heritage banquet on base with 2,500 people, and a Memorial Day parade on Monday, May 26, 2003. It was a great tribute to the U.S. military.

The educational component involved a year-long curriculum of study on aviation history and technology in grades four through 12 in schools throughout North Carolina with NASA playing an important educational role. In addition, it included various aviation related competitions culminating with 1,000 plus students and 150 teachers attending the Aviation Exposition each day. The Exposition, which ran for seven days, was held in four different venues at the Crown Center complex. The exhibit halls were filled with educational, interactive displays for the whole family to enjoy, all honoring the Wright brothers' great achievement 100 years ago.

Other activities centered on the arts, all depicting flight. "The Arts Take Flight" in downtown Fayetteville included an original stage musical called, "Let Ôer Fly;" a special showing of the 1927 movie "Wings;" kite flying demonstrations; the dedication of a huge kinetic sculpture, "Stargate 2003;" and music performances by the local Symphony orchestra and the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Band. In addition, all the Fayetteville museums had special aviation and aerospace exhibits. On May 18, 2003, a general aviation air show, "Barnstorming at its Best," was held with many of the nation's top aerobatic performers. Poor weather held the crowd down to about 25,000 people. Even though rain throughout the region had a negative impact on projected attendance, the total attendance still reached approximately 300,000 for the 11 days.

Centennial Legacy
There were many long term benefits derived from the Festival including: favorable and positive publicity worldwide for Fayetteville; a strong educational curriculum focused on aviation and aerospace which will continue and grow each year; and several other aspects of the Festival that will have a catalytic effect, in a positive sense, on various community needs (i.e., economic development, downtown revitalization, etc.).

Lessons Learned
The lessons learned included the importance of careful coordination with security regarding entry into events, putting as much important information on the Web site as possible, and making sure operations and public relations people are communicating.

NATIONAL AIR TOUR 2003
Summary of Event/Program
The National Air Tours introduced millions of people to the concept of air travel and led to innovations that literally paved the way for civil and commercial flight. Originally held from 1925 through 1931, the National Air Tours were the premier aviation events of the Golden Age of Aviation. The tours flew more than 29,000 miles visiting 114 cities to promote safe, reliable air travel at a time when flying was considered a daredevil sport. Simultaneously, the tours encouraged aircraft manufacturers to improve their designs and communities to build or improve airports. In the tours' seven year history, more than 600 aircraft participated, representing the latest in aircraft design and technology.

Leading innovators of the day joined efforts with the Detroit Board of Commerce to promote civil and commercial aviation through the National Air Tours. Notable names among the group included Charles Lindbergh, Orville Wright, Jimmy Doolittle, Walter Beech, Eddie Stinson, Harold Pitcairn and William Stout.

The National Air Tours were commonly referred to as the Ford Air Tours. Henry Ford and his son, Edsel Ford, lent their trusted name in transportation to the endeavor through sponsorship and active participation. Edsel Ford supplied a magnificent three-foot tall sterling silver trophy to demonstrate support for an industry that had similar potential to that of the automobile industry.

With the year 2003 marking a century of powered flight and the 100th anniversary of Ford Motor Company, the Aviation Foundation of America, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit organization, seized the opportunity to share the story of the Golden Age of Aviation by producing and promoting what would have been the 1932 National Air Tour. The '32 tour was canceled due to hardships from the Great Depression.

During 17 days in September 2003, there were 80 volunteer pilots and crew that flew more than 25 rare airplanes from the 1920s and 1930s on the National Air Tour 2003, bringing living history to 26 cities, crowds of thousands and an audience of millions. These modern day aviators, sitting behind antique radial engines and wooden propellers, overcame skeptics' doubts and weather related issues to successfully complete the tour. The first aircraft finished the 4,000 mile journey nearly 15 minutes ahead of a schedule that was laid down more than a year before and was based on a route planned 71 years earlier.

The story of the National Air Tour 2003 reached millions of people. Program components enabled a global community to join in this celebration of the centennial of flight. These program components included: Goals of Event/Program
The goals of the program were to: Outcome of Event/Program
The National Air Tour 2003 was a resounding success. It was the first time in more than seven decades that anything of the sort had taken place. There was not even a single Band-Aid needed along the route.

The National Air Tour 2003 generated more than 100 million gross media impressions through advance story placements, interviews and event coverage from international, national, local and trade media. Ninety-five percent of all stories carried the tour's key messages and tour organizers estimate 80 percent of story placements carried a centennial of flight message.

Sample media placements included: USA Today; Public Radio International's "Savvy Traveler;" CBS News Radio; Associated Press; FOX News Channel; Discovery Wings Channel; Flying Magazine; and Air & Space. International audiences were able to read about the National Air Tour 2003 in Japan's Koku-Fan, Germany's Aerokurier, New Zealand's Classic Wings and Great Britain's Aeroplane Monthly, to name just a few. The tour was given top placement on the front pages of local dailies along the route and almost every television station in each market covered the tour's arrival when not covering Hurricane Isabel.

Key aviation writers from Flying Magazine, Private Pilot, Air & Space and more than a dozen other freelancers and journalists from around the world flew on legs of the tour.

The "America Takes Flight" documentary aired on PBS stations across the country and continues to be sold throughout the world.

The National Air Tour 2003 Web site became a powerful communications tool with 14.5 million Web hits and more than 450,000 individual visits to the tour site.

Web page surfers visited the "daily updates from the tour" pages more than 75,000 times, and more than 5,000 people requested that daily tour updates be sent directly to them via e-mail. In addition, a live, online flight tracking service of air tour ships from www.flightexplorer.com was visited by thousands of people each day during the tour.

More than 75,000 people came out to witness the tour despite daytime arrivals that conflicted with work and school schedules, flight delays due to storm fronts and Hurricane Isabel, and often short stays at airports. Many more witnessed the ships flying overhead. As an example, in Tyler, Texas, a crowd estimated at more that 2,000 gathered at the Tyler airport just to see the ships fly over head. Aviation enthusiasts, families and general spectators learned about the Golden Age of Aviation by experiencing the sights and sounds of an antique airplane tour of a magnitude that will likely never happen again.

Barnstorming tour pilots estimated that more than 1,800 people experienced flight in an open cockpit biplane during the tour.

More than 1.5 million people attended the top aviation events such as EAA AirVenture and Sun Ôn Fun where the tour had booths and aircraft displays. Edsel B. Ford II agreed to be the tour's honorary chairperson. On behalf of the Ford family, Edsel B. Ford II presented Greg Herrick of the Aviation Foundation of America with the "Spirit of Ford" award at the send-off ceremony. It was the first time the award had been presented to someone outside of the automobile industry.

Based on the success of the National Air Tour 2003, the Aviation Foundation of America has been contacted by other organizations and individuals who are planning state and regional air tours. The National Air Tour renewed interest in the nation's aviation heritage. Time and time again, tour participants were told things such as, "This is the largest crowd we have ever had at this airport."

Centennial Legacy
The National Air Tour 2003 educated an audience of millions about America's aviation legacy from the Golden Age and raised awareness of the centennial of flight. The tour broke through the boundaries of the closely knit aviation community and ignited interest in aerial pursuits with citizens who might not normally venture out to an airport.

The National Air Tour 2003 enabled the public, pilots, crew and Web site visitors to gain insight into an endeavor that had not taken place for nearly 75 years. Citizens were able to see rare birds filling the skies and inquire about their tube and fabric skins, wooden propellers and colorful paint schemes. Crowds experienced the prop wash from more than 30 radial engines preparing to taxi and take off. Online audiences shared the excitement of a flying museum and the struggles of battling uncooperative weather with a group of airplanes nearly three quarters of a century old, flying under visual flight rules.

Experiences of a bygone era were relived and people were reminded of the nation's aviation legacy in preparation for the next century of powered flight.

Lessons Learned
Flying a 4,000 mile route for what would have been the 1932 National Air Tour in an antique airplane brings with it all the challenges faced by the original tour pilots and crew. For 17 days in September, The National Air Tour 2003 was able to trace the footsteps of the pioneers of the Golden Age, dealing with all the issues they dealt with, weather, maintenance and even the logistics of inviting crowds out to witness the tour's arrival. The experience brought greater admiration for one of the first flying generations and is a reminder of the hard work and struggles encountered by those pushing the boundaries of any art or science.

The National Air Tour 2003 literally took the history of America's Golden Age of Aviation directly to the people. This living museum and classroom flew to their hometowns, enabling thousands to learn and experience aviation history first hand. As a result, the experience brought many visitors and participants to tears.

Finally, the celebration of the centennial of flight has notably increased awareness of aviation in the United States. Yet, there is still much work to be done to remind citizens of the wonderful benefits that aviation brings. As Newton may have observed were he alive today, if people have flown higher, it is because they are flying from the shoulders of giants.

ROCKEFELLER CENTER
Summary of Event/Program
From July 29-August 18, 2003, Rockefeller Center hosted New York City's marquee event in celebration of the 100 year anniversary of Orville and Wilbur Wright's ascent into history. GE Presents Centennial of Flight at Rockefeller Center chronicled the accomplishments of the Wrights and delivered a retrospective exhibition of the last century of aviation accomplishments.

Rockefeller Center coordinated many illustrious organizations, national agencies and private groups to develop a museum quality exhibit installed throughout the entire Rockefeller Center complex. The curatorial vision encompassed the famous Rockefeller Plaza streets, the underground concourse, artwork in landmark buildings, the elegant Channel Gardens and the air above.

Artifacts on display included a flyable replica of a 1903 Wright Flyer, Tuskegee Airman Roscoe Brown's P-51 Mustang, an U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon, a replica of NASA's first Redstone Rocket, an Apollo Command Module, a U.S. Marine Corps Harrier Jet, concept space planes, along with engineless space travel, interactive flight simulators and the GE-90, the largest, most powerful jet engine ever built.

There was an opening night reception in the Channel Gardens attended by more than 800 guests. The evening was a glorious tribute to the Wright brothers and the living heroes of aviation. Guests included astronauts Dr. Neil Armstrong and Dr. Buzz Aldrin, Amanda Wright Lane, NBC Chairman Bob Wright, current astronaut Ken Bowersox, Gen. J.R. Dailey and many of the key members of the commercial flight industry. WNBC News Anchor Maurice Dubrois emceed the evening program as Patti LaBelle sang the NASA commissioned song "Way Up There." World War II pilot and music legend Skitch Henderson brought down the house with a swing era compilation belted out by the "Legends of Jazz" band.

Goals of Event/Program
The larger-than-life installation paid tribute to the heroes and icons of aviation, the machines and the people that make them work. The three-week exhibition was designed to educate New Yorkers and visitors to Rockefeller Center, and most importantly, to inspire America's next generation of aviation pioneers.

Outcome of Event/Program Extensive outreach in the community and media interest garnered more than 2.8 million visitors to Rockefeller Center and 58 million media impressions during the three-week celebration. Ongoing children's activities and educational programming were produced throughout the three weeks. The programs and content of the exhibition were showcased almost daily on America's top-rated morning news show, The Today Show. There were six segments on The Today Show featuring Mars rovers, U.S. Air Force falcons, the great grand niece of the Wright brothers, a GE Engine specialist and more.

SPACE DAY FOUNDATION
Summary of Event/Program
Space Day 2003, the annual tribute to space exploration, invited young people of all ages to honor the previous 100 years of aviation accomplishments while celebrating "The Future of Flight" on May 1, 2003. Established in 1997, Space Day has exploded into a global celebration with events taking place in all 50 states, across Canada and in 15 other countries. On Space Day, millions of youngsters, students, teachers and space enthusiasts were engaged in activities at schools, libraries, science centers, museums and planetariums throughout North America. NASA is one of more than 75 national Partner and Associate organizations that support this award winning educational initiative. Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien proclaimed May 1 as Space Day in his country with special activities planned in provinces throughout Canada. The national Space Day celebration was held in Washington, D.C., at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. The opening ceremony featured a number of dignitaries including: Sen. John Glenn; Gen. J.R. Dailey (U.S.M.C., Retired), Director of the Museum and Chairperson, U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission; NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe; Anna McGowan, Manager of NASA's Morphing Program, Langley Research Center; as well as two teen spokespersons, Bianca Baker, a reporter for NASA's SCIence Files and Anne Breaks, an aspiring astronaut from Canada. Sen. John Glenn recognized 17 "Stellar" Design Challenges student teams from across the country.

Goals of Event/Program
Designed to spark interest in science, technology, engineering and math, Space Day seeks to inspire the next generation of inventors, aviators and explorers. "We hope to perpetuate the legacy of our space pioneers by nurturing that same sense of curiosity in our children, engaging them in the thrill of discovery," said Sen. John Glenn, co-chair of Space Day. "These young people represent our future and will one day realize exciting possibilities that we can now only imagine." The Space Day initiative, which is supported by the nonprofit Space Day Foundation, is dedicated to the advancement of science, technology, engineering and math by inspiring young people to realize the vision of space pioneers.

Outcome of Event/Program
Space Day events and activities were held in all 50 states, across Canada and in 15 other countries. Forty-seven governors and the Prime Minister of Canada officially proclaimed Space Day as well.

U.S. AIR FORCE CENTENNIAL OF FLIGHT OFFICE
Summary of Event/Program
Established in January 2001, the Centennial of Flight Office (CVAH) reports to the Assistant Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force (USAF/CVA). The U.S. Air Force Centennial of Flight Office participated in a wide range of events and products during the Centennial year. The list below is a broad sample of the more than 50 Centennial events in which the U.S. Air Force was the primary sponsor or national Centennial of Flight Partner supporter. Goals of Event/Program
The U.S. Air Force Centennial of Flight Office was formed to research, plan and coordinate the U.S. Air Force's participation in the worldwide centennial of flight celebration and coordinate resources with government, military and local communities. Throughout 2003, the U.S. Air Force Centennial of Flight Office participated in numerous events and programs to achieve one or more of its four primary objectives: increase positive public awareness of the U.S. Air Force mission, lay the foundation to support recruiting efforts in both the near and long term, enhance retention of U.S. Air Force people, and strengthen relationships within the worldwide aviation community.

Outcome of Event/Program
Because of the national magnitude of the centennial year, the U.S. Air Force was able to develop programs that could reach a broad market. It is estimated that by attending and assisting more than 50 centennial themed events nationwide that the U.S. Air Force made a lasting impression on more than 50 million people.

Centennial Legacy
The legacy of the U.S. Air Force Centennial of Flight Office is far reaching. Efforts were successful to promote the U.S. Air Force's contribution to aviation and inspire the next generation to pursue career fields in aviation.

Lessons Learned
A separate U.S. Air Force office was essential to ensure this level of participation during the centennial year. The U.S. Air Force was a proud supporter of the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission and its Partners.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Summary of Event/Program
On October 4, 2003, the Library of Congress opened "The Dream of Flight" exhibition in the Thomas Jefferson Building to commemorate the Wrights' achievement and to celebrate the centennial anniversary of this great event. Mounted as a special presentation within its American Treasures Gallery, the exhibit draws upon the Library's Wilbur and Orville Wright Collections to document their achievement and uses some of the Library's rarest and most significant materials to explore the notion that flight has occupied a central place in most cultures. The exhibit will close April 24, 2004, and is available in a digital version.

As a separate project, the Library also made a significant portion of the Wilbur and Orville Wright Papers available to the public online. Spanning the years 1881 to 1952, the online presentation of more than 10,000 items includes their correspondence, diaries and notebooks, photographs, and other documents, as well as their letters to aviation pioneer Octave Chanute.

Goals of Event/Program
The goal of the Library's exhibition was to make available the most significant and interesting Wright materials to those who visit and to thereby impress upon the public that the Wrights were not simply lucky, hit or miss inventors, but were instead a dedicated, visionary, courageous pair who acquired an understanding of the scientific problem of flight.

The goal of the digitized papers project was to offer the public access to the most important Wright documents as part of the Library's overall mission to make its resources available and useful to Congress and the American people.

Both the exhibition and the online papers project have been well received and well attended.

Outcome of Event/Program
Since the Wright exhibition is a special presentation that is located physically within a permanent, rotating American Treasures exhibition, it is not possible to determine which visitors came solely for "The Dream of Flight" material. However, more than 35,000 individuals attended the American Treasures exhibition during the October-December 2003 period.

Traffic for the Wright Papers Web page, which went online in early October 2003, totaled some 325,000 hits (number of times accessed) through January 2004.

Centennial Legacy
As custodian of the Wright Papers, the Library sought to make these significant primary materials available to the greatest number and to raise the public's consciousness and knowledge about the Wrights and their signal achievement.

ARIZONA WING OF THE COMMEMORATIVE AIR FORCE
Summary of Event/Program
The Arizona Wing's Second Annual Veteran's Day Fly In and the Arizona Centennial of Flight Exhibition afforded the Arizona Wing the opportunity to reach out to the community in a unique way. First, a two-day festival of flight spotlighted not only Wing aircraft, but warbirds and other visiting aircraft that participated in the event; and second, a more sustained two-month celebration of flight exhibition was presented. The fly in included aerial demonstrations to round out the festivities, together with an exhibitors' hall which included a wide variety of participants, including the military, model builders, public education, collectors of memorabilia, art, literature, historic groups and others connected to the Arizona Aviation Community. Topping off the fly in was a special inauguration ceremony on Saturday morning, November 8, 2003, at which a Governor's Proclamation recognizing the Arizona Wing and its role in the centennial of flight was presented. After an opening ceremony, presentations of the Proclamation and remarks by public officials, a flight of F-16 Falcons from neighboring Luke Air Force Base flew over the Museum and the festivities, adding a significant sense of drama and excitement to the fly in.

The exhibition was a collaborative effort among the participating exhibitors to educate visitors about how central aviation is in their lives and the role Arizona played and plays in the development of powered flight. Exhibitors presented a broad array of perspectives on aviation, including: the impact it has had on the state's economy; its historic significance in terms of the state's development and contribution to the nation's security and wellbeing; the beauty and wonder of aviation (through photographic and art galleries); unique innovations in lighter than air craft; the role women and minorities played in aviation; and aspects of flight that everyone, whether they pilot a plane or not, can participate in, such as computer-based flight simulation and model kit building.

Both events proved a resounding success. The fly in drew more than 15,000 visitors in its two-day run, doubling last year's attendance, and providing the Arizona Wing with the opportunity to introduce itself to a broader sampling of the community. Visitor attendance at the Wing Museum since the event has noticeably increased, believed in part to stem from public awareness of the Arizona Wing's resources thanks to the fly in. The exhibition's attendance topped 3,000 visitors.

Goals of the Event/Program
The goals of the Arizona Wing center on its restoration and stewardship of aircraft assigned to it by the Headquarters of the Commemorative Air Force in Midland, Texas. However, in a sense, the restoration and preservation of historic aircraft is but the tip of the iceberg for the Arizona Wing. The Arizona Wing's aircraft, including the B-17 Flying Fortress Sentimental Journey, a B-25 Mitchell Bomber (currently in final stages of restoration), L-Bird Utility Aircraft, a Beech C-45 Expeditor, Grumman Guardian and a North American T-6 Trainer (in Navy SNJ livery), are a major draw that enables the Arizona Wing to tell the much bigger story of aviation centered on the culture and lives of the people who flew and crewed these and other aircraft. Over the past year or so, the Arizona Wing has broadened its vision to look beyond the years of World War II to later periods as well. In addition, the opportunity to anchor the exhibition in Phoenix has allowed the Arizona Wing to partner with others in the community to broaden the breadth of the displays to include the early days of flight leading up to the conflict that began in 1914 in Europe in which the airplane emerged as the ultimate weapon.

Through the aircraft, displays of memorabilia, oral histories, models and descriptive materials on display in the Museum, the Arizona Wing aims to provide the visitor with a fully rounded and complete understanding of the meaning of flight, including the technical, historical and human aspects. The fly in allows history to come alive by adding the dimension of reality to that which is exhibited in the Museum.

It is the Arizona Wing's experience and belief that present generations are missing the opportunity to appreciate the wonder of flight in the context of American history. The Arizona Wing believes their efforts extend to the public in general an enjoyable, unique, valuable and unforgettable experience.

Attendance at both the fly in and the exhibition attest that the Arizona Wing succeeded in surpassing the goals. Feedback from those in attendance indicates that the event was worthwhile and enjoyable and that visitors will come again next year.

The Arizona Wing's native territory had traditionally centered on the period 1939 through 1945. The exhibition afforded the Wing the opportunity to reach out beyond this period to celebrate achievements. Because resources were limited, the perfect solution was to solicit teammates each of whom could provide its own unique perspective about the centennial, specifically how it related to Arizona. The goal was very simple: create a venue for celebration; make long-lasting friendships with others that share a passion for aviation; and, above all, use these resources and alliances to educate the public at large about aviation in general, the meaning of the centennial and the role Arizona played in the evolution of powered flight.

Outcome of Event/Program
For the fly in: For the exhibition: